Mumbai trust wants Abhinav Bharat to change name

However,in February 2007,another trust based in Pune,got itself registered under the same name.

“In 2008,this trust was alleged to have been involved in terror activities. The state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested several of its members including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit for allegedly carrying out a blast in Malegaon in September 2008,” the petition stated.

“This (similarity of title) is creating confusion. Public has faith in us as we are doing charity work. According to procedure,the charity commissioner before registering a

trust should verify if there is any other trust of the same name registered earlier,” the petition said.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice D G Karnik while posting the matter for hearing on June 7 sought to know whether the charity commissioner has the power to direct a registered trust to change its name.

“It is a trust not a company. The only verification that the charity commissioner can do is whether the trust exists and if it is doing charity work. The commissioner cannot direct the trust to change its name. That only a civil court can do,” Justice Karnik observed. In a lighter vein,Justice Karnik said,”Tomorrow if someone wants to name their son D G Karnik,I cannot go and prevent him.”